


Wildfire Night

by CLH_CLH



Series: The Very British Lannisters [1]
Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bonfire Night AU, Cersei didn't burn the sept, Cersei is Jaime's ex-wife, F/M, Fluff and Humor, History Is Written By The Victors, Jaime not so much, Meet-Cute, Not his sister, Tyrion loves wildfire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2019-02-10 01:52:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12901431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CLH_CLH/pseuds/CLH_CLH
Summary: Jaime Lannister is not having a good day. The last thing he is in the mood for is a party to celebrate Wildfire Night. Can the appearance of a beautiful red head make him look more kindly on the holiday?





	Wildfire Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Catherina1996 (jaimeofhouselannister)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaimeofhouselannister/gifts).



> In Britain the 5th of November is celebrated as Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Night. This is a commemoration of Guy Fawkes' failure to blow up the British Houses of Parliament and the British Royal Family in the 17th century. We celebrate with fireworks displays and a large bonfire which we burn a 'Guy' on. Being very much Team Margaery I was less than impressed when she was reduced to ashes in Baelor's Sept so this one shot imagines a present day Westeros where things went a little differently that day. 
> 
> Jaime and Cersei aren't related here, they're a divorced couple. Myrcella and Tommen are their children. I've mentioned Joffrey, briefly, in this AU he's not related to anyone else mentioned. 
> 
> This work is a gift to my lovely Catherina1996. I hope you enjoy sweetheart. :)

Jaime dug his hands into the pockets of his jacket, feeling for his keys. It was much colder than when he left the house several hours before and as usual he had only been able to get a parking space several streets away. Finally, he grasped the familiar shape of the lion key ring his children had presented him with on father’s day, and pushed the key quickly into the main door. He walked quickly toward the door of his flat and opened it, noticing the hall light was on.  
“It’s bloody freezing out there!”  
Jaime remarked as he opened the door to the living room, expecting to find his younger brother. Tyrion was indeed in the room and was glaring at Jaime as he hurriedly pulled up his boxers and trousers. Also in the room was Tyrion’s girlfriend Margaery, who had jumped from her kneeling position and was also seeking to fixed her dishevelled clothes.  
“Should I explain to you the meaning of a closed door? _Again?_ ”  
Jaime, already irritated by the events of the afternoon was definitely not in the mood for Tyrion’s sarcasm.  
“This is my flat too!”  
“No, brother, it is my flat, I am simply kind enough to allow you a room.”  
Tyrion spoke in a tone of exasperated patience. Margaery dropped a kiss on his head then grinned at Jaime.  
“Boys, boys! Let’s not argue on such an auspicious day. Jaime, I’m sorry your feeling cold, luckily for you, I’ve made curry for dinner so that’ll warm your cockles. I’ll just go an check how it’s doing.” Tyrion kept his eyes on her as she retreated from the room then turned to meet Jaime’s unamused stare.  
“What?”  
“What do you think?”  
This was not the first time Jaime had interrupted Tyrion and Marge in such a situation and he felt the two of them could at least _pretend_ to be embarrassed. Tyrion smiled crookedly.  
“Look, she’s going to come to her senses and leave me soon enough, I may as well enjoy myself while I can. Anyway, how was the disco? Did you have fun?”  
“Of course, you know how I love weak orange squash and the music of Arianna Grande.”  
Tyrion smirked. Jaime had been supervising a halloween disco at his children’s primary school, Cersei should have been doing it but she had ‘other commitments’, _I can guess what those were now._ Jaime turned to his brother with a scowl.  
“Some little shit upset Myrcella. Weirdo in this back feathery costume, telling her he could see everything she did, that she looked beautiful when she slept.”  
“I hope you broke the little wanker’s legs.”  
Tyrion’s shared indignation mollified Jaime slightly, he smiled grimly.  
“I gave him a piece of my mind, told his mother she ought to be ashamed. She had no control over him, just kept apologising to me, she must’ve been a teenager when she had him by the look of her.”  
Just then Margaery came through the door carrying several steaming plates.  
“Don’t you two look serious! What’s wrong, did Tommen not like his Golden Knight costume?”  
Jaime sighed.  
“He didn’t wear it, he decided to wear the pirate costume Uncle Euron got him instead.”  
“Who the fuck is Uncle Euron?” Asked Tyrion, as Margaery placed the food on the coffee table.  
“Cersei’s new man.” supplied Jaime morosely. Margaery raised her eyebrows.  
“She’s got the children calling her boy toy ‘uncle’? That’s in poor taste.”  
“It sounds like they’ve been going out for months, I can’t believe her, we agreed we’d speak to each other before we introduced Tom and Cella to anyone new.”  
Tyrion and Margaery exchanged a glance. Considering the break down of Jaime and Cerise’s marriage had been solely due to her multiple infidelities and considering she was a manipulative bitch anyway, this latest deception hardly seems surprising. Jaime gritted his teeth.  
“Still, I heard all about him from the kids, they absolutely love him, he’s the best thing since sliced bread.”  
He stopped there, resentment overtaking him. Margaery squeezed his shoulder.  
“Don’t worry Jaime, the novelty will wear off, in the meantime, I’m happy to spend more time with you all on the weekends they are here. I’m very good at winning the hearts of children, they’ll be begging to come and stay.”  
She went to kitchen to retrieve her own plate. Jaime turned to his brother.  
“Doesn’t it make you a bit uneasy when she goes all scheming and manipulative like that?”  
Tyrion sighed and grinned.  
“No, it makes me want to fuck her.”  
Margaery returned and plonked down on the sofa beside Tyrion, kissing him briefly before starting to eat. Her boyfriend took a forkful of food and smiled.  
“This is delicious darling! It is Pentoshi?”  
“Indeed it is. I decided to avoid anything Lorathi. Seeing as your ex was from there I have no doubt my efforts would look hopelessly inauthentic.”  
Jaime snorted.  
“I don’t think things between Tyrion and Shae ever got to the stage where she cooked for him.”  
“Really?”  
Jaime observed the triumphant expression on Marge’s face and had to bite back a smile. Still looking smug, the brunette spoke again:  
“You’re both wonderful for letting me have a little wildfire party here tonight. Wildfire Night is my absolute favourite and since my flat doesn’t have a garden I’ve not been able to have a bonfire in so long.”  
Tyrion gave her a fond look.  
“It’s no trouble, darling, I love Wildfire Night myself.”  
Jaime rolled his eyes. As an adolescent, Tyrion had taken an interest in fireworks. One year he and his shady mate Bronn had decided to hold their own Wildfire party in a small wood behind the street the Lannisters lived on. Having bought the fireworks from a disreputable source and having consumed considerable quantities of cider prior to setting them of, it was really not surprising when rather than shooting into the air, the rockets had shot into a neighbours’ garden. Unfortunately for Tyrion, the neighbour in question was General Baratheon and the rockets destroyed his scale model replicas of Admiral Lord Nelson’s fleet. Tyrion and Jaime’s father had insisted his younger son spend his weekends producing household budgets until he deemed him to have earned the money it took to pay for the damages. This had somewhat dampened the younger Lannister’s enthusiasm for pyrotechnics and even before this he and Jaime had always agreed the story behind Wildfire Night seemed like bullshit. 

The event harked back to the days before the defeat of the White Walkers. The story went that brave Ser Lancel had risked his own life to stop a cache of wildfire under Baelor’s Sept from igniting. Good Queen Margaery and her family had been in the sept at the time and it had quickly emerged the whole thing was a plot between the Mad Queen and the High Sparrow (so fanatical that he was willing to end his own life to bring about his aims) to destroy the Tyrells and take power. The Mad Queen had even been planning to poison her own son and ascend the throne following the explosion. Thankfully brave Lancel succeeded and the Mad Queen was beheaded. As for Good Queen Margaery, she convinced her husband they should support the North in the war to come and even managed to persuade Daenerys Targaryen to lend her dragons to battle for the dawn, rather than spend time conquering King’s Landing. Many of the great and good fell before the Night King was finally vanquished, but Good Queen Margaery remained, ruling the Seven Kingdoms in the name of her young son, lately assisted by the Dragon Queen’s former hand. Both Jaime and Tyrion were sceptical by nature and agreed that surely the Mad Queen couldn’t really have been as bad as everyone made out, and if Good Queen Margaery was really so good why were people conspiring to blow her up? However, Tyrion’s girlfriend adored the story of her namesake and supposed ancestor and it had not taken very much eye lash batting and breathless promises for the little man to realise holding a wildfire party complete with Mad Queen effigy was an excellent idea. 

Soon after dinner, Loras and Renly arrived, carrying said effigy. They had clearly put much effort into the creation and their glee in anticipation of the burning was matched by Margaery, who had squealed with delight. Bronn had also arrived along with Podrick, a young man whom Tyrion told Jaime had a prodigious talent but who as far as Jaime could see, Tyrion kept in the role of general dogsbody. Tonight appeared to affirm this as Jaime could see that Pod was currently, assembling assorted pieces of wood into a bonfire whilst Tyrion and Bronn offered helpful advice but no actual assistance. Jaime had followed the three into the garden and stood with his hands in his pockets brooding on his afternoon.  
“What the fuck’s up with yer brother, Tyrion? He looks as if he fought a bear and lost.”  
“He had to take his children to a school disco this afternoon.”  
Bronn tutted sympathetically.  
“Here, Jaime, you should’ve given me the word, I’d have stood in for ye. For a small fee of course, I could’ve told them all sorts of lies about your bitch of an ex while I was at it.”  
Jaime smirked at the thought of Bronn mingling with the PTA mothers.  
“Bronn, you ever heard of a bloke called Euron?”  
Bronn snorted.  
“Only bloke I know called that is Euron Greyjoy, mad bastard that one, owns a boozer called The Cackling Craken over the other side of town.”  
“Owns a boozer? they’re a match made in heaven” Tyrion muttered to himself.  
Margaery stuck her head out the door.  
“Are you almost ready to start?”  
“We certainly are, darling, bring the Mad Queen to her pyre.” Tyrion called out cheerfully.  
Renly and Loras emerged and placed the blonde mannequin on top of the pile of wood. Soon it was burning merrily. Margaery watched a wide smile on her face and when the blonde wig caught alight she cheered mockingly.  
“Burn, you evil bitch!” She turned to Tyrion standing beside her.  
“Thank you for this, I love you.”  
From the brief glimpse Jaime had of his brother’s face before Margaery pulled him into a passionate kiss, Jaime guessed this was the first time Tyrion had heard his girlfriend declare her love. Jaime liked Margaery and he was happy for his brother but given the current state of his own love life, he felt a little melancholy.  
“I’m heading in for a drink.” He called to no one in particular and made his way inside the flat. He was in the kitchen when he heard the door buzzer sounding, he lifted the handset beside the front door.  
“Yeah”  
“Is this Tyrion’s flat? I’m here for the wildfire party.”  
“Come in”  
He pressed the door release and waited for the unknown female to make her way to the flat door. He opened it, and his ‘hello’ was shocked from his lips.  
“I’m so sorry I’m late, I had to take my brother to his school dis…”  
As the tall redhead at the door managed to remove a bottle of wine from its plastic bag and looked up at him she fell silent and the pleasant smile on her face died. She began to blush.  
“Oh, hello… again.”  
They stared at each other for a minute then Jaime remembered himself.  
“Come in please, let me take that.”  
She handed him the wine then began to speak earnestly.  
“I am so sorry for my brother’s behaviour earlier.”  
“Your brother?”  
“Yes, mum’s on the PTA but she didn’t feel up to the disco, things have been hard the past few months.”  
She looked down and swallowed. Jaime remembered how angrily he’d reacted and regretted it now. He spoke quickly.  
“I think I may have overreacted, we all know what kids are like.”  
This did not seem to cheer the red head up. She sighed.  
“Bran used to be such a cheerful, chatty little boy, but since dad died, he’s been so…strange, I wish I could do more for him. I told him his behaviour towards Myrcella wasn’t acceptable, he is a good kid really.”  
Jaime looked at her worried face and felt like a complete prick. He smiled.  
“Let’s say no more about it, I’m sure my daughter has forgotten all it, I’m sorry I responded so rashly.”  
“You have nothing to apologise for, it’s lovely to see a father looking out for his children.”  
At this she seemed to tear up and despite never having met her before, Jaime found himself pulling her into a hug.  
“Oh I’m so sorry, I just miss my dad so much.” She took a deep breath and gave him a watery smile. Which he readily returned.  
“I think you could do with a drink before we head outside, now shall we introduce ourselves properly? I’m Jaime, Tyrion’s brother.”  
“I’m Sansa, Margaery and I went to school together.” She looked around the flat enquiringly.  
“Is your daughter here now?”  
“No, she’s at her mother’s, We’ve been separated for over a year. It was hard for the kids to get used to at first, but they seem fine now, which is why I’m sure your brother will adjust too, he just needs time.”  
She gave him a small smile then sighed.  
“I hope so, he’s just changed so much, he used to love knights but he wouldn’t even wear the Golden Knight costume I made him for halloween, reading those stories together used to be our favourite thing to do.”  
Jaime grinned.  
“My son loves the Golden Knight stories too. In fact, I bought him a Golden Knight costume for halloween.”  
“Oh, I didn’t see any of the children wearing one.”  
“No, he decided to be a pirate instead.”  
They smiled at each other in mutual sympathy and he handed her a glass of wine before holding it up in a toast.  
“Here’s to being stoic in the face of rejection by small boys.” 

They remained at the kitchen table talking for a while longer. Sansa had recently moved back to the city, wanting to be closer to her family following her father’s death. They commiserated on how stressful moving was, he talked to her about Tommen and Myrcella, who he loved, and his job, which he hated. Jaime felt as if he had been rudely awakened from a dream when Margaery appeared at the kitchen door.  
“There you are Jaime! I see you’ve met Sansa.”  
“Marge! Sorry I was so late.”  
“It’s fine, I got your text.”  
Margaery moved to hug her friend then turned to Jaime with a grin.  
“This girl is like a sister to me, we used to share everything back at school, secrets, boyfriends…”  
Sansa grimaced  
“Let’s leave Joffrey firmly in past Marge.”  
“More than happy to, love, anyway, I came to find you because we’re about to set the fireworks off.”  
Jaime stood up somewhat reluctantly and followed the pair outside.  
Soon the sky was lit up by reds, greens and golds. Jaime had never shared Tyrion’s enthusiasm for pyrotechnics and he found his eye drawn more frequently to Sansa, the still alight bonfire casting a warm glow on her copper hair and making her skin seem to glow. He had not been aware he was staring until she had turned to face him, an uncertain smile on her lips.  
“Are you alright?”  
“Beautiful, I mean I’m beautiful no, of course I don’t mean that. The fireworks, they are beautiful.”  
_Seven hells get a grip Lannister!_  
Sansa gave a small laugh.  
“Yes they are, I have to be honest though..” and she leaned closer to him, the scent of her perfume making him catch his breath.  
“I prefer looking at the stars.”  
“So do I.”  
The beaming smile that lit up her face made his heart beat faster and even though he hadn’t kissed a woman since his marriage fell apart and even though he’d been in love with Cersei since he was fifteen years old it felt like the most natural thing in the world to fix Sansa with a mock serious look and say:  
“I really do feel terrible for flying off the handle earlier, I wonder if you would let me take you to dinner next week to make up for it.”  
She dropped her gaze shyly but her smile widened.  
“I would like that very much, not that you have anything to make up for.”  
The earnest expression on her face as she said the last part practically begged him to tease her, he gave her a smirk.  
“If you’re a very good girl we can take a walk together afterwards and look at the stars.”  
“And what if I’m a very bad girl?”  
Sansa blushed as she said it but at Jaime’s laugh she looked into his eyes with a mischievous expression. He raised a brow.  
“I’m honestly not sure which I would prefer, perhaps I should take you out more than once, purely for the sake of comparison.”  
Jaime wondered if it was too presumptuous to be suggesting a second date when they’d only just met but Sansa simply continued to beam at him for a moment then turned her head back to the fireworks, glancing across at him frequently. 

Once all the fireworks had been let off and the Mad Queen reduced to a charred mess of rags, the group returned to flat and soon people began to leave. Sansa did not seem particularly eager to go, readily agreeing to Margaery’s suggestion that they open another bottle of wine. It was nearly midnight when the red head asked them to call her a taxi and as it arrived Jaime walked her to the door. She leaned into him and giggled.  
“Oh dear, I’m a bit tipsy.”  
“Then allow to assist you, sweet lady.”  
“Why thank you, kind ser.”  
She opened the door then turned to face him, biting her lip.  
“So give me a text next week and I shall see you Saturday.”  
“Indeed you will.”  
Their gazes locked and her smile was so bright and open and lovely. He brushed a strand of her long, shining hair away from her face and leant down to kiss her soft lips. He could feel her smile as she gently opened her mouth and stroked his tongue with hers. After a moment she pulled away and, grinning at him over her shoulder, walked down the hall and out the main door. 

Jaime was sure he must have resembled a cheshire cat as he turned away from the flat door and found himself facing Margaery, her arms folded and her eyebrows raised.  
“If you hurt her, Lannister, I will see to it that you die horribly and the blame falls on Tyrion.”  
Jaime’s father, brother and ex-wife agreed on very little but one thing the three did have in common was a belief that attack was the best defence. Jaime drew on this principle now.  
“You’d never do that to Tyrion, you _love_ him.”  
Margaery’s face broke into a soft, dreamy smile and she moved towards Jaime, taking his arm.  
“I do, I love him, he loves me just think how intelligent our babies will be!”  
“Babies? You’ve got quite the plans for my brother I see.” Jaime felt obliged to tease Marge, despite the fact he could have hugged her for this confirmation of how serious she was about his little brother. The brunette turned to him with an exaggerated frown and placed a finger to her lips.  
“Don’t you tell him! I don’t want him freaking out.”  
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that, we Lannisters don’t scare easily. Besides, between you and me, Tyrion told me the first time he met you that he’d found the queen he’d been searching for his whole life.”  
They sauntered back into the living room where Tyrion looked at them brows raised.  
“You two look very pleased with yourselves, did you find a clutch of dragon eggs in the hall?”  
“Only you would be pleased to find a clutch of dragon eggs in the hall, you ridiculous sweetheart.” Said Margaery sitting down beside him and pulling him into a kiss. Jaime gave an exaggerated sigh.  
“Alright you two, that’s clearly my cue to head to bed. See you in the morning.”  
As Jaime made his way to his bedroom he heard, Tyrion call out in sing-song voice:  
“Jaime! I was right about it being an excellent idea to hold a wildfire party wasn’t I?”  
Jaime grinned at his younger brother’s smug expression.  
“Yes, Tyrion. You were right, I’ve always said you’re the most intelligent Lannister.”  
With that, Jaime did head for his bedroom reflecting that despite predatory pirates and creepy ravens it had really been rather an excellent day. 


End file.
